J&K ceasefire may end with Ramzan

New Delhi: The Centre is not likely to extend the conditional ceasefire announced last month in Jammu & Kashmir beyond Ramzan. Top security sources confirmed to this newspaper that the issue was discussed at length during the two-day visit of Union home minister Rajnath Singh to the state on June 7 and 8 where he held discussions with multiple security and intelligence agencies on the prevailing situation in the Valley.

During the deliberations, sources added, the security establishment working on the anti-terror grid in the Valley informed the home minister that extending the ceasefire beyond Ramzan would be a “major risk” as terror outfits had already used the ceasefire period to consolidate their “resources” and were expected to launch a major offensive shortly.

The security forces in particular expressed concern over terror groups like Lashkar-e-Tayeeba and Jaish-e-Mohammed planning to target the Amarnath Yatra scheduled to start later this month.

“There is concrete input to suggest that these terror groups have managed to re-group during the ceasefire period and there was a major threat to the yatra this year. Militants will use all resources to target the yatra so we informed the home minister that extending the ceasefire could be a major risk,” a senior security officials operating in the Valley said.

Even though Mehbooba Mufti has appealed to the Centre to extend the ceasefire in a bid to send out a symbolic message, sources claimed a final decision would be taken by the home minister in consultation with the Cabinet Committee on Security. Senior officials in the security establishment, however, claimed that it was unlikely that the ceasefire would be extended.

“Except one major incident where a mob resorted to heavy stone pelting on a CRPF jeep in Srinagar there was a drop in such incidents during the ceasefire period primarily because it was also the holy month of Ramzan. But it is the future planning of terror outfits that we are worried about since they have consolidated their position to some extent during this period and will hit back hard once Ramzan is over. So we need to be prepared for it,” the official added.

During home minister’s visit to the Valley, senior security officials also shared intelligence inputs with him on future plans of terror organisations and how they had managed to rope in more youth, particularly in parts of South Kashmir. Security officials claimed there was a sharp increase in recruitment drive by militants, which is a cause for concern.

There is a strong possibility, officials added, that these new recruits would be used to target the Aamrnath Yatra. Sources claimed the anti-terror grid in Srinagar also discussed with the home minister the operations they are planning to launch against active militants in the Valley once the ceasefire period was over.